Become a mother in a night

Chapter 25

Michelle's refusal to "Leonard," who had a quirky username, was influenced by two primary factors.
First, she was hesitant to leave Lizzy behind. Alex was known for his workaholic tendencies, and Michelle wasn't far behind. She dreaded coming home to a sobbing child, knowing the onus of comfort would fall on her. Such a scenario was emotionally taxing.
Secondly, Michelle disliked complications. A structured job was too restrictive for her taste. She cherished the freedom to manage her own time. However, Leonard persisted even after her initial refusal, continuing to send messages.
Leonard: "If you prefer working from home, that's an option. Just ensure tasks are completed on schedule."
Leonard: "As for the compensation, we can offer you this amount."
He sent a screenshot of a lucrative figure. The sum tempted Michelle; she realized it was equivalent to half a month's pay for just a few assignments. Noting her hesitation, Leonard sensed an opportunity.
Leonard: "Take your time and think it over. Get back to me in a few days."
Michelle replied, albeit reluctantly, "Alright, I'll consider it."
Later, Michelle messaged Alex to pick up Lizzy from school, but there was no response. She wondered if he was too engrossed in work and missed the message. With Lizzy's school hours coming to a close, she felt torn about whether to pick her up herself.
Fortunately, at half-past three, Alex finally responded.
Alex: "Understood."
Michelle: "Thank you! (●'3'●)!"
Seeing the cute emoji, Alex paused for a moment, finding it oddly adorable. Although a workaholic, once Alex made a commitment, especially one involving Lizzy, he always kept it.
As Alex prepared to leave, his assistant, Derek, walked in with documents. With a nod, Alex gestured for them to be placed on his desk. Derek had recently noticed Alex's early departures, an uncharacteristic change for the work-driven man. While surprised, Derek knew better than to pry.
Catching Derek's eye, as if recalling something, Alex said, "Bring me some candies."
Derek, taken aback, responded with a puzzled, "...???"
Alex commented, "The HR team distributed snacks today."
However, he hadn't received any snacks from HR, leaving him candy-less.
Derek slightly doubted his hearing. What had he just heard? But even with an incredulous expression, he returned to his workstation and handed over all his candies to Alex.
Without any hesitation, Alex accepted the candies, pocketing them with a nonchalant expression. Then, in broad daylight and without a hint of guilt, he left the office early.
Watching Alex's retreating figure, Derek entertained a bold thought: Could his boss be leaving for a date with Miss Isabella? Lately, Alex had often left work early. Was something brewing between the two?
Derek glanced at the thick stacks of documents on his desk and fell into deep thought. Even if Alex was dating Miss Isabella, it wasn't a justification for increasing Derek's workload...
Alex soon picked up Lizzy. On seeing him, the little girl inquired if she could spend the night at Michelle's house.
"Daddy," Lizzy said, "I want to sleep with mommy tonight."
Alex handed over the candies he'd procured from Derek. Lizzy's eyes lit up as she accepted the sweet treats.
Tilting her little head up, she sweetly said, "Thank you, daddy!"
Then, generously, she offered one candy back to him. Alex chuckled, taking the candy, thinking how incredibly adorable his child was.
Responding to her earlier query, he said, "You'll have to ask your mom if you can spend the night with her."
Lizzy nodded, understanding that her dad couldn't make that decision. She had only posed the question out of curiosity.
Happily munching on her candy and holding onto Alex's hand, they walked home together. On their way, they bumped into Sophie. The two children, upon seeing each other, became visibly excited. They rushed toward each other, embracing and playing joyfully.
Sophie was usually taken to and from school by her mother, Aria, while Nathan took over the responsibility on weekends.
Aria was once a model turned internet sensation. Back in the day, she and Nathan had a whirlwind romance that led to an unexpected turn of events – they married at a young age. Aria continued her career in modeling, and when she wasn't on assignments, she would engage in live streams from home.
In many ways, Aria and Michelle seemed quite similar.
However, Alex felt his situation differed from Nathan's; in his mind, he had drawn a shorter straw. Pushing away these thoughts, Alex greeted Aria.
Aria, having already learned about the relationship between Lizzy and Alex from Nathan, wasn't too surprised to see them. She was on her way to the park with Sophie and seeing the two inseparable children brought a smile to her face.
Turning to Alex, she said, "I was about to take Sophie to the park. How about letting Lizzy join us?"
While Sophie wasn't always keen on listening to Nathan, she always obeyed Aria without question. Aria had an easy time managing kids, and with her fondness for adorable children, she didn't mind taking Lizzy along.
Both kids heard Aria's proposal. Naturally, Sophie was eager for Lizzy to accompany her, but Lizzy seemed torn. She wanted to play with Sophie, yet she also wanted to watch cartoons with her mother.
In her little greedy heart, Lizzy wished, "If only mommy could come with us to the park!"
Alex was well aware of Michelle's aversion to child-rearing. Despite her gentle and patient demeanor towards Lizzy, she genuinely wished she didn't have to take care of her. That's why she often asked him to pick Lizzy up from school.
Considering Michelle's perspective, Alex gently inquired, "Lizzy, do you want to play with Sophie?"
Lizzy hesitated for a moment, nodding slowly. She was about to voice her earnest wish.
Seeing Lizzy nod, Alex coaxed her gently, "Then, Lizzy, why don't you go play with Sophie? Later on, mommy and daddy will come pick you up."
Hearing Alex's words, Lizzy pondered for a moment and felt that it was a good idea. The prospect of playing with Sophie and being fetched by her mother later sounded wonderful. Bursting with joy, Lizzy hugged Sophie tightly, and they both headed to the park together.
Watching Lizzy's retreating figure, Alex mused to himself, *Was it too easy to persuade my child?*
Alex called Michelle to inform her of the arrangement.
Michelle, upon hearing the news, didn't have any objections. However, she emphasized, "So, we'll pick up Lizzy later?" She stressed the word "we" slightly.
Alex noticed the emphasis, but merely responded with a nonchalant "Mhm," refraining from elaborating further.
This left Michelle feeling slightly irked. *Why does it always end up being me who fetches our child?* she thought, begrudgingly agreeing with a simple "Alright," preparing to hang up.
At that moment, their nanny emerged from the kitchen, inquiring about the number of dinner servings needed for the night. Sometimes, when Alex picked up Lizzy, he'd dine with them, so the nanny always made sure to ask.
Hearing the nanny's query, Michelle had to ask Alex, "Mr. Alex, will you be staying for dinner tonight?" Conveniently, she had matters to discuss with him, making his presence at dinner even more beneficial.
Alex did not feel Michelle's inquiry was out of genuine concern for him. Nevertheless, he decided to sacrifice his overtime hours at work and join them for the meal. "Aria usually takes Sophie home around 6:30," he said, "So, let's pick up Lizzy at 6."
Michelle agreed without further comment, setting the time before ending the call and resuming her tasks.
Staring at the "Call Ended" message on his phone screen, Alex sank into silence. He wondered if Michelle's indifferent attitude towards him, seemingly treating him as just a handyman, was a bit too cold.
At the agreed time, the couple arrived at the park to fetch Lizzy.
Lizzy, seeing Michelle approaching, immediately hugged Sophie and exclaimed, "Bye-bye!" before scampering over to her mother. She had grown taller and a bit heavier recently, making it somewhat strenuous for Michelle to carry her. Instead of lifting her, Michelle squatted down, gently tousling Lizzy's hair and showering her with compliments. Even without the usual hugs and kisses, the mere praise from her mother filled Lizzy's heart with satisfaction.
Alex had grown somewhat accustomed to their affectionate exchanges and, honestly, he wasn't the slightest bit jealous. Really, he wasn't.
After expressing his gratitude to Aria, Alex escorted Michelle and Lizzy home.
The meals prepared by the nanny were far superior to what Michelle could whip up. However, occasionally, dishes would contain the dreaded carrots and eggs - foods Lizzy found particularly objectionable. Lizzy made a face of utter distaste after downing the carrot and corn pork rib soup. Two tiny carrot pieces remained in her bowl, and she pondered whether to eat them.
Michelle eyed the leftover carrots in Lizzy's bowl and then glanced at her daughter's puckered expression. *Such a cute child,* she thought, *even with that grimace. Especially when she looks so much like me.* Michelle cherished the adorable expression on Lizzy's face for a moment before transferring the carrots from Lizzy's bowl to her own.
Looking at Lizzy with a mix of humor and seriousness, Michelle chided, "Lizzy, it's not good to be picky about food."
Lizzy pouted in response but still nodded in agreement. In a soft voice, she promised, "Next time, Lizzy will eat the carrots." She might skip them now, but she'll definitely eat them in the future.
Listening to Michelle and Lizzy's conversation, Alex stared at the carrots in his own bowl, lost in thought.
Michelle had something to discuss with Alex. As she looked up to catch his eye, she noticed he was fixated on the carrots in his bowl. It instantly clicked for her why Lizzy disliked carrots so much. It seemed like the aversion was inherited. If the elder didn't like carrots, it was no wonder the younger one felt the same. *What kind of gene is this?* she mused.
Coincidentally, Alex looked up at that exact moment, meeting Michelle's gaze. Sensing an opportunity, she remarked playfully, "Mr. Alex, being picky isn't good."
Alex responded with a simple, "Mm-hmm," acknowledging the comment. Then, without a change in expression, he deftly picked out the carrots and placed them on a side dish.
After dinner, Alex prepared to return to his home next door. However, Michelle stopped him. Her face, so much like Lizzy's, lifted into a gentle smile, soft and sweet. In a tender voice, she said, "Mr. Alex, I'd like to discuss something with you."
Lifting his eyes to meet hers, Alex's expression remained neutral. He observed her for a moment before diverting his gaze, giving a noncommittal hum, indicating for her to continue.
Michelle looked intently at Alex. She wasn't seeking his opinion, nor negotiating. She felt it was necessary to inform him. She stated, "Mr. Alex, I'm preparing to return to work."